The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-10-27
THE 1.-TWO SISTERS"

Twenty-seven years ago this day oc-
Cured the mutiny on the ship Two Sis
ters. All the circumstances were pub
lished at the time, but 1 doubt if there
are today a dozen people in the United
States who can recall them. 1 was one
of the crew and a participant, and am
now going to give the story of the crime,
and leave the reader to judge who was to
blame that the mutiny came about.
The Two Sisters was fair sized ship,
carrying from sixteen to nineteen men,
and was owned and sailed from Glasgow.
had come around to Glasgow on a
coaster from Liverpool, having no chance
to get ship and being willing to take up
with anything to earn my way until times
got better. The Two Sisters was bound
for Rio Janeiro, and the day got into
Glasgow was her day for sailing. Oddly
enough, q common seaman got fall
which disabled him, and l was showed
into his place, and the ship was off almost
before l could turn my head, and GER
tainly before l was prepared for such
long voyage. I had been to sea for sew
eral years previous to this shipment, and
had rated as "able' more than once, but
in this case was rated as "ordinary,"
and the pay was to be for such. l was
then about 90 years old, thorough Yam
kee by birth and feelings, and as 1 had
neither parents nor home did not care in
which direction 1 sailed.
Now, to help you comprehend what
finally happened, want to say that no
sailing ship ever left port with everything
entirely satisfactory to Sailor Jack. He
IS chronic grumbler, just as the farmer
is, but he means no more by his grumb-
ling. He will kick on the food, on the
weather, on the cargo, on his quarters, on
almost everything connected with the
ship and her voyage; but it is simply a
fashion, and he doesn't expect anybody to
take him in earnest. And l say further
that there is no English, Scotch, German,
or American sailing ship atloat today in
which the captain cares two cents for the
life of foremost hand. The mates are
born DULLES, ready to knock man down
on the slightest provocation, and they will
make the provocation themselves. Jack
NAV he cut and bruised and ill, but it is
only when he falls helpless that he is per-
mitted to leave his watch. He is not sup
posed to have any more feelings than an
OK, and it would seem as if the aim of
most officers was to make him forget his
manhood. The ditch diggers in any
country live better than the average
sailors. Jacks hours are longer than any
workingman's, his pay is less, and there
isn't day from the time the voyage is be-
gun until it ends that his life is not in
peril. And, to cap the climax, he is q
| man to put up with everything. He eX-
poets poor grub, plenty of abuse, q great
deal of dirty weather, and q close shave
for his life about once in so often. 90 He
will stand more bulldOzing than a black
slave, and more abuse than an OK. Mutiny
at sea is rare occurrence. The Amerl-
can marine does not average one in five
years. This isn't because the provoca-
ton is lacking, for that exists on almost
every ship every day, but because Jack is
| is willing to bear to the last moment be-
| fore he turns. In my time have known
sailors to cut their Threats, hang them
selves, or leap overheard to end their
| wretched lives-made wretched and I'M
bearable by a bullying mate. A soldier
| would have shot down his officer in such
cases. A slave would have run away.
We We're not out of sight of the coast
| before it was found that both mates were
| DULLES, the captain tyrant, and our
grub the poorest which could be pur-
chased for ship. The crew were far
! above the average in point OF looks and
! seamanship. AS we were mustered to be
divided into watches 1 was surprised to
, note the fine bearing of the men. 1t was
Just such a crew as captain could feel
confidence in during long and perilous
voyage. If there was shirk among the
lot, his looks did not betray him. When
we were divided off fell to the captains
watch, which is in reality the second
mates watch, and l found two more
T0h nd
They were able seamen of middle age,
and there was but one younger man than
l in either watch. In the first six hours
of our being afioat saw four men knocked
down by the mates without pro1ocatior
enough to have called out a rebuke from
some officers, while the captain, who was
evidently q hard drinker, exhibited hi:
temper in various ways. 1t is usual fol
the captain of a ship to make little
speech to the men when the watches art
divided. 1t is done not to encourage, bu
to intimidate. 1t is to further show Jacl
that he has no moral or legal rights what
ever, and that if he isn't Drained mex
day with Delaying pin, it is because hi:
officers are willing to overlook and con
done his heinous offenses. When oul
watches were called Capt. Mckay stepped
forward and said:
81 have been looking you over, YOU
dirty scum of the docks, and I find ther'
isn't a sailor among you. I wouldn'
have shipped such gang of sojers fo-
mud scow. You have come aboard undo
false pretenses, calculating to feast OF
pie and cake and have trip for you
health. Look out for me, you id rif
raft. I'll make some of you wish vol
had never been born before this voyage i
over"
That was his speech as one Of the sail
ors wrote it down, and that was the Gu
the mates were to take. When the OF
watch went below the men remarked T
each other that it looked as ii we ha'
signed articles with bad man, but Their
was no criticism. When supper wa
served we found the beef outrageous. Tn
smell of it was sufficient to turn sailor
stomach, and you can imagine that
must have been pretty high. The tie
could never have seen the inside OF
chest. / doubt if it was anything NOR
than the leaves of trees and shrubs. TIL
ship biscuit had better been called shi
grubs. There was more worm than bis
cult in each case, and as hungry as "
were not man made pretense of eai
ing. 1t is the rule of every ship tina
Jack may come aft with his complaint
He was expected to in this case. Th
captain was on deck when he should hay
been below He looked for q kick agains
the provisions, and he proposed to shu
the grumblers right up. After forecast
conference it was decided to appeal to th
captain. Not man of either watch coul
touch the provisions. An oldish MAI
who was thorough sailor, very INTEL
gent. and the last to find fault. was s.